Expanded-metal machine



July 10,v 1928.

R. G. BIRKHOLZ EXPANDED METAL MACHINE R. G. BIRKHOLZ EXPANDED METAL MACHINE Filed Aug. s, 1926- 4 4 sheets-sheet s R. G. BIRKHOLZ EXPANDED METAL MACHINE July l0, 1928.

ill

.Patented July ld, NZS.

RICHARD G. BIRKHO'LZ,

OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T PENN METAL COM- PANY, 0F CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

EXPANDED-METAL MACHINE.

Application led August 3, 1926'. Serial No. 126,891.

rlhis invention relates to mechanism for expanding slitted sheet metal, such as metal lath, and is particularly adapted for Yexpanding ribbed sheet metal lath in which the sheets are provided with slitted areas separated by longitudinal parallel ribs.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of this class having improved mechanism cooperating with the longilO tudinal ribs of the sheet for progressively seizing the sheet between its side edges and expanding the several slitted areas between the'ribs.

A further object of the invention is to l5 provide an expanding mechanism which will be relatively rapid in operation, as well as efficient and durable, whereby the .cost of operation will be reduced by virtue' of increased production. f

@ther objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification wherein like reference 25 characters designate corresponding parts'in the several views.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation illust-rating the .improved machine in -its present preferred 39 form.

Fig. 2 is a plan .view of the construction shown in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation showing in detail the rear end of the expanding mechanism. Fig. stantially on lines 4'-4, Fig. 3, in the direci tion of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectionalview taken substantially on lines 5-5, Fig. 1, in. the direc-` tion of the arrows.

Fig. `6 is a sectional view taken on lines 6- -6, Fig. l, in the direction of the arrows.

Fig.y 7 is a fragmentary perspective view illustratinga portion of aslitted sheet prior to the expanding operation.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective 'view illustrating the sheet after it has been ex" panded. v

Eig.. 9 is ay sectional view d taken substantially on lines 9-9, Fig. 3. y

Fig. l0 is a sectional vView taken on lines 10-10, Fig. 3. f

invention, and the method or mode of oper- 4 is a sectional .elevation taken sub.w

spaced cooperating Before explaining indetail the :presentr ribs ofk the sheet.

stood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practlsed or carried out in various -ation embodied therein, it is to be underways.- Also it is to beunderstood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention beyond the terms of the several claims hereto appended or the requirements of the .prior art.'

The present machine-is capable of being used for expanding ribbed sheet metal or latli in which the sheets may be previousl7 slitted intermediate the ribs in accordance with various well known systems.

7 is illustrated a portion of an unexpanded sheet S having longitudinal ribs R and showing a slitted area L between the ribs. ln Fig. 8 a portion of a sheet/S is illustrated after being expanded by the mechanism of the present invention, the expanded area being indicated at L lt will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular manner in which the sheets are slitted, and although the machine in its present form is designed to expand lsheets having seven parallel longitudinal ribs providing therebetween six slitted areas, be understood that a less or greater number0 of slitted areas may be used and the sheets may be of various widths.

In its present preferred form herein shown and described the expanding mechasupporting means, eachsupporting means beingpreferably in the form of a pair. of upper and lower longitudinally extending supporting bars or arms, and carried bythe upper and lower arms of each supporting means are a multiplicity of longitudinally rollers. The rollers in each pair are provided `with mating peripheral ribs and grooves adapted to receive a vrib of the metal sheet Vand feed the same longitudinally. `Certain of the pairs of rollers are power driven so that the slitted sheet is positively fed and guided through the expanding. mechanism. The sets of" rollers will co-operate withthe longitudinal move the same longitudinally and at the same .time expand the it will In Fig.

several slitted areas intermediate the ribs. The supports which carry the sets 'of expanding rollers are positioned so as to diverge uniformly in a horizontal plane and hence, in operation, the sheet which comprises a number of slitted areas se uarated by longitudinal ribs will be expande in sections in the same horizontal plane.

2 The machine, as illustrated in Fig. 1, may comprise a suitable supporting base or bed A upon which are mounted a suitable number of uprights or standards B, C, D and E, carrying the mechanism. Bolted to the top of each of thesey standards are a pair of spaced uprights or standards 20 and 21, and mounted at the upper ends thereof are a series of transversely or laterally spaced upper bars or arms 22,"seven' being shown in the present instance by Way of example. These arms 22 are mounted so as to diverge in a horizontal plane and are supported by means of transverse shafts 23 secured to the upper ends of theseveral pairs of uprights 20 and 2l. The supporting bars or arms 22 are maintained in spaced diverging relation by means of a plurality of sets of spacer blocks 24, each set being supported and held in position by means of a rod 25 extending therethrough and through the arms 22, each rod 25 carrying adjusting nuts 26 at` the opposite threaded ends thereof.

Each of the diverging arms 22 carries a multiplicity of closely spaced feeding and expanding rollers, each roller being supported by .means of an adjustable spring controlled plunger.' Each roller carried by each of the upper bars 22 is preferably mounted in the same manner, as'illustrated in Fig19. The bar 22 is bored at 27 to receive the cylindrical shank 28 of a plunger which terminates at its lower end in a slotted I portion onf' each lroller 30 is tapered to provide substantlally'a peripheral rib 30n which' 'mates with a peri pheralgroove in each of the lower rollers 39 as hereinafter described. The plunger 28 is mounted Within the bore 27 so as to have a limited vertical movement and hence the plunger is provided with a vertical slot 32 through which extends a retaining pin 33 carried by the bar 22. A compression spring 34 engages the upper end of the plunger 28 aud this spring in turn is engaged by the enlarged end 35 of, a plunger 35.l The latter is held in adjusted position means of an adjusting screw 36 tapped intoth'e upper Vend of the bar 22 and carrying at its outer end a' wrench receiving portion 37.

Beneath the upper series of diverging bars 22 are mounted a series of lower bars or arms 38 corresponding in number to the upper bars and also vmounted in diverging relation and parallel to the upper bars. These lower bars are suitably secured to the columns B, C and D, and may be held in spaced relation by means of a plurality of sets of spater blocks 24 in the same manner as described with respect to the upper series of bars 22.

`Each bar 38 along the upper longitudinal edge thereof is notched orrcut away at 38a and mounted in this recessed portion are a multiplicity of lower expanding and feeding rolls 39. These rollers are all constructed in the same manner, but certain of them are positively dri/ven and others are idlers. In the present instance, the rollers are driven in pairs 39, each adjacent driven pair being separated by an idler 39a. Each roller 39 and 39L is provided with a tapered peripheral groove 40 co-operating with the tapered portion y30a of one of the 'upper rollers. Each driven roller 39 is carried by a stud shaft 41 having a spur gear 42 secured to one end thereof at the outer face of the arm 38. The pair of adjacent gears 42 for each driven pair of rollers 39 mesh with a gear 43 secured to a shaft 44 which is journalled in the arm 38 and carries at the opposite side of the arm a sprocket 45.

Each intermediate idler roller 39a is mounted on a stud and held in position by means of a collar 46 and nut 47. Beneath each of the idler rollers 39 is mounted on a shaft 48, an idler sprocket 49.

A driving shaft 50l is journalled in the upper ends of the standard D, this shaft extending parallel to t-he several short shafts 44. Secured to the driving shaft 50 are a series of spaced sprockets Y51 in alinement wilh'the series of sprockets 45 as shownin Fig. 4.I All of the driving. sprockets 45 and idlers `49 carried by each of the arms 38 are driven by ya common sprocket chain 52fron1 one of the sprockets 51, each chain, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, extending over the several sprockets 45 and under the idler sprockets 49. At the front endl of the machine the sprocket chain 52 passes downwardly overV an idler sprocket 53 and thence rearwardly over a guide plate 54 carried by the standards B and C (see Fig. 1). The driving shaft 50 of the machine may be* operated from a. suitable electric motor 55 mounted on the base of the machine, the armature shaft of the motor carrying a sprocket- 56 Whiclris connected by-means of a chain 57 to a sprocket 58 on the shaft 50. See Fig.l 4.

From the foregoing it will be observed that each set of lower feeding and expanding rollers 39 and 39 carried by each of the diverging bars 38 will rotate in the same direction during the operation of the machine, and are operated by means of separate mechanism from the shaft 50.

The slit-ted sheet in the present instance I Leraar? `of each series by means of a series of transversely spaced parallel pairs of guide bars 59 and 60. The upper set of guide bars 59 (see Fig. 6) are provided with longitudinal tongues 61 which co-operate with longitudinal grooves 62 in the lowbr set of guide bars 60.. The forward ends of the bars 59 and 60 extend between the columns 20 and 2l,.as shown in Fig. 3, in close roximity to the rear ends of the arms 22. he upper guide bars 59 are secured in laterally adjusted position to a fixed bracket 64 by means of adjusting bolts63. These bolts are adjustable in a transverse slot 65 in ,the bracketr64. See Figs. 2 and 3. ln like manner, the forward ends of the lower guide bars 60 are secured in adjusted position to a fixed bracket 66 having a similar transverse slot to receive adjusting bolts 67.

' means of a bar 77 bolted to theupper ends` Referring particularly to Fig. 1, mounted on each pedestal of column E is an upright frame comprising spaced forward and rear uprights 68 and 69 connected together by thereof. The rear ends of the bars 59 are adjustably secured to a bracket 70 carried by the uprights 68 by means of adjusting bolts 71 extending' through slots 1n the bracket, to permit the bars to be hpositioned lin proper spaced relation. dn'like manner the rear endsof the lower guide bars 60 are adjustabl secured to a bracket 72 by means of adjusting bolts 73.

A rotary shaft 74 (see Fig. 5) is mounted at opposite ends in a pair of vertically yielding journal boxes 75 which are mounted on vertical ways 75a carried by the frame members 68 and 69. A rubber pad 76 is interposed between each journal box 75 and the upper` head 77 of the frame and is enl gaged by an adjusting bolt 78 extending through a` tapped hole in the bar 77.

A rotary'shaft 79 is mounted in suitable bearings`80 below the shaft 74. The upper shaft 74 carries at opposite ends thereof a pair of spur gears 81 meshing with gears 82 carried by the shaft 79, and the latter carries a splocket 83 which is driven from -the roller may the shaft 50 by neans ofa chain 84 connected to a sprocket 58a on they shaft 50.

' Mounted on the upper shaft 7 4 are a series of spaced rollers 85, each having a hub carrying a set screw 85b by means of which be secured iii adjustedl position to 'the shaft. Each roller 85 is provided with aat peripheral surfacey 85. Mounted on the lower shaft 79 are a corresponding series of feeding and guide rollers by means of which these rollers ma be secur'ed in adjusted position to the sha t 79. Each of the rollers 87 is provided with a eripheral .groove 88 to receive the rib R of the sheet and permitl it to travel freely screws 87"' between the rollers 85 and 87. In operal.

tion, the flat faces 85 of each upper roller 85 is yieldingly pressed against the flat faces 87a of the lower roller, thereby acting to grip and feed the sheet at eachv side of the ribs R of the sheet S. (See Fig. 7.)

rlhe sheet S is guided to the rollers 85 and 87 over a feed tabe 90, the sheet being positioned in inverted relation to that shown in Fig. 7 so that the grooves 88 of the rollers 87 will embrace the ribs R .of the sheet. By means ofthe rollers 85 and 87,the sheet is fed between the parallel guide bars 59 means of the lspring pressure of the upper rollers 30. rlhe pressure of these rollers may be governed by adjusting'the screws 36 so that each longitudinal rib of sheet will be yieldingly gripped by means of the mating rollers 30 and 39. lt will be noted that the pairs of rollers carried by each upper and lower supporting bar 22 and 38, respectively, are positioned inclose proximity so that each` supporting means22 and 38 carries a multiplicity of co-operating feeding and expanding rollers which progressively grip the rib R of the sheet at success-ive points. In addition it will be noted that due to the diverging relation of the sets of upper and lower rollers carried by the various supporting arms, the sheet will be progressively expanded in a horizontal plane. 'lhus' in the case of the present machine, where seven laterally spaced sets of expanding rollers are provided, the slitted sheet will be expanded in six sections corresponding tothe number of slitted areas intermediate the longitudinal ribs R of the sheet.

What l claim is:

1. in an expanding machine, the combination of a plurality of laterally spaced sets of co-operating pairs of expanding rollers, the rollers of each set being spaced longitudinally and the several sets diverging I -in the same sets of (zooperating pairs of expanding rollers, p the .rollers of each set being` spaced longitudinally and the several sets diverging in the same plane, each of said pairs of rollers comprising mating peripheral grooves eand ribs, means for guiding a slitted and nation of. a plurality of laterally spaced i ribbed sheet to said rollers, and a common means for driving certain of said rollers.

3. In an expanding machine, the combi-` for driving any oit' the rollers.

4. In an expanding machine, the cofnbinat1on of a frame, two serles of upper and lower supporting arms carried by said frame and the arms of'each series diverging m of rollers having mating perlpheral grooves in the same plane, a series of longitudinally lspaced rollers carried by each of said arms,

the upper and lower rollers having mating annular grooves and-ribs, means for feeding a slitted sheet having spaced longitudinal ribs to said rollers, and means for driving said rollers.

5. In an expanding machine, the combination of a plurality of laterally spaced f sets of co-operating pairs of expanding rollers, the 'rollers of each set being spaced longitudinally and the several sets diverging in. the same plane, each of said pairs of rollers .comprising mating Aperipheral grooves and ribs, means for guiding a slitted and ribbed sheetto said rollers, and a common means for driving alternate pairs of said rollers.

6. vIn an expanding machine, the combination of an upper laterally spaced series of supporting bars diverging in a horizontal plane, a lower Vseries of supporting bars parallel to said upper bars `and diverging in a horizontal plane, a longitudinally spaced series of rollers carried by each upper and lower bar, the upper and lower pairs of rollers having mating peripheral grooves and ribs, a drive shaft, and means operated from said shaft for independently driving the rollers carried by one of said series of bars.

7. In an expanding machine, the combination of an upper laterally spaced series of supporting bars diverging in a horizontal n plane, a lower series of supporting bars parallel to said upper bars and diverging in a horizontal lane, a longitudinally spaced series of ro 1ers carried by each upper and lower bar, the upper and lower pairs of rollers having mating peripheral grooves and ribs, a drive shaft, and means operated from said shaft for independently driving alternate rollers carried by said lower series of supporting bars.

8. In an expanding machine, the combination of an upper laterally spaced series of supporting bars diverging in a horizontal plane, a, lower series of supportlng'bars said shaft for independently driving the rollers carried by one of said series of bars, and spring means co-operating with the rollers carried by the other series of bars.

9, In an expanding machine, the combi-` l natlon of a rotary driving shaft, a plurality of laterally spaced sets of co-operating rollers, the rollers of each set being spaced longitudinally and the several sets diverging in the same plane, each co-operating pair and ribs, mechanism for rotating certain of the rollers of each set and including a longitudinally spaced series of sprockets and a single chain drive operated from said'shaft for driving each series of sprockets.

l0. In an expanding machine, the combination of multiple laterally spaced'pairs of upper and lower parallel supporting arms, the several pairs diverging in the same plane, a series of co-operating pairs of rollers carried by each lpair of supporting arms, driving mechanism including a series of sprockets #carried by each lower arm for rotating certain of said rollers, a driving shaft and asingle chain drive operated from the shaft for driving each series of sprockets. y

11. In an expanding machine, the combifor independently rbtating the lower set of rollers.

12. In` a machine for expanding previously slitted'sheet metal having a series of w longitudinal ribs and a number ofA intermediate slitted areas, the combination of diverging sets of rollers located in the same plane and adapted to engage said ribs, and

means for rotating said rollers to cause the same to progressively feed the sheet longitudinally and to simultaneously expand sai areas in the same plane.

13. In a machine for expanding sheet metal having a series of parallel longitudinal ribs dividing the sheet ltransversely mto separated slittedy sections, the combination' omechanism for` expanding the sheet, means for guiding the sheet to said mechanism, said expanding mechanism comprising sets of rollers for feeding the sheet longitudinallyand for expanding the sheet in the same plane in sections between said longitudinal ribs.

14. In an expanding machine, the combination of a plurality of diverging sets of expanding rollers, the rollers of each set being supported in longitudinal alinement and the sets of rollers being in the same plane, and means for guiding to the rollers a sheet divided transversely into separate slitted areas to Cause each adjacent Set of rollers to expand therebetween in the plane of the sheet one of the slitted areas of the sheet.

15. In a machine for expanding sheet metal lath having longitudinal ribs and a plurality of slitted sections between the adjacent ribs, the combination of sets of feeding and expanding rollers, each set comprising mating grooved and ribbed rollers in longitudinal alinement and adapted to grip therebetween said ribs, means for supporting said sets of rollers in the same plane and in diverging relation to cause said Sets to grip the longitudinal ribs of the sheet and simultaneously expand the sheet in sections in the plane of the sheet.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

RICHARD G. BIRKHOLZ. 

